Cody
Cody is in Northwest Wyoming, close to the east side Yellowstone National Park. Unlike Jackson, with its pet spas and high-end shopping, Cody is more authentically cowboy. Cody is famous for its rodeo, which occurs nightly during the summer, and for its proximity to fantastic wilderness adventures in Yellowstone and in the national forests surrounding the park.
Understand
- 1 Buffalo Bill Dam and Cody Visitor Center. Six miles from the Eastern Yellowstone entrance is the visitor center that covers Cody and the Buffalo Bill Dam. There's not a tremendous amount of information, but it's a decent stopover if you're between hikes.
Get in
By plane
- 1 Yellowstone Regional Airport (COD IATA) (is two miles from the CBD). Delta Express flies here from Salt Lake City, Utah, and United Express and Mesa Airlines fly from Denver, Colorado.
By car
Map of Cody
Car trips to Cody are a bit long, but you're rewarded with beautiful scenery.
- From the north - MT 310 connects I-90 with WYO 120 from Billings, Montana. Or, for a prettier alternative, drive from Red Lodge, Montana take the Beartooth Scenic Byway - US-212 is one of the top 20 drives in the country. The highway is open summer months only. US-212, the Beartooth Highway, leads to WY 296 - the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway. Here take US-212 to the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park, or take WY 296 to WY 120 and on to Cody.
- From the northeast - Over the Big Horn Mountains via Powell and Lovell on the Medicine Wheel Passage on US-14A. Open summer months only.
- From the south - I-25 to Casper, US-20 to Thermopolis, and WYO 120 to the hamlet of Meeteetse and then Cody.
- From the east - Across the Big Horn Scenic Byway on WYO 14 from Sheridan, Wyoming to Greybull on WYO 14-16-20. Through Buffalo, Wyoming on WYO 16 the Cloud Peak Skyway through Ten Sleep and Worland to WYO 16-20 to Greybull and on to Cody.
- From the west - Through Jackson, Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park on WY 191 to WY 14-16-20, the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway to Cody.
Get around
Given Cody's rather remote location and the activities you've come to Cody to enjoy, you will want a car to get around.
See
- 1 Buffalo Bill Center of the West, 720 Sheridan Ave, Cody, ☏ +1 307 587-4771, info@centerofthewest.org. Hours vary during the year, usually daily 10AM-5PM. Dec 1 - Feb 28 open Th-Su.. Cody - Five full museums in one location. The museum does a good job of moving beyond the clichéd myths of cowboys, Indians and the "wild west", taking on a more critical and interesting look at the meanings of frontier in American popular culture. Buffalo Bill Cody Museum, an itinerant performer with an outsized presence in 19th and 20th century popular culture.Draper Natural History Museum, spotlighting Yellowstone's ecosystems. Firearms Museum with over 10,000 artifacts.Plains Indian Museum, showing cultures and traditions of Plains Indians.Whitney Western Art Museum, many stunning pieces by Remington, Charlie Russell and more. $23 adults, discounts for seniors and students.
- Cody Stampede Rodeo and Cody Nite Rodeo. From June 1 to August 31, the Cody Nite Rodeo runs every evening with bull riding, steer wrestling and more. Right around the 4th of July, the Cody Stampede Rodeo occurs, which is the biggest event in the summer in Cody. Cowboys from all over the nation and the world compete in seven different events.
- 2 Smith Mansion, 2902 N Fork Hwy. Ruins of an extraordinary wooden structure located on a hill visible from the road in Wapiti between Cody and Yellowstone National Park. Do not attempt to enter the property - it is dangerous and the owners do not welcome trespassers.
- 3 Historic Cody Mural and Museum (Cody Chapel), 1719 Wyoming Ave., ☏ +1 307 587-3290.
- 4 Old Trail Town, 1831 Demaris Dr., ☏ +1 307 587-5302, visitus@oldtrailtown.org.
- 5 Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, 1539 Road 19, ☏ +1 307 754-8000.
Do
- Hike. Cody is one of the jumping-off points for Yellowstone National Park. You don't have to go that far though to find beautiful trails, particularly in the Shoshone National Forest.
- Dude ranches. There are several ranches in and around Cody that offer horseback riding and ranching experiences. Many of them are close to Yellowstone National Park, so you can piece together two different types of trips. One of the many ranches is K3 Guest Ranch.
- 1 Buffalo Bill State Park, 4192 Northfork Hwy, ☏ +1 307 587-9227. Located along Buffalo Bill reservoir, this campground has walking trails and picnic areas. Stop and walk along the rocky shore, skip rocks, or delight in the scenery and wildlife.
- 2 Yellowstone Quake, 1400 Heart Mountain St, ☏ +1 307 587-1681. See website for current season schedule. Enjoy an ice-hockey game at the Victor J. Riley Arena. The Quake play in the North American Tier III hockey league.
Buy
There are a large number of excellent outfitters and merchants in Cody appealing to the visitor and resident alike. These include the Yellowstone Gift Shop, Sunshine Outfitters, Legends Bookstore, the Chamber of Commerce local artists co-op, and many more, mostly along Sheridan, which is the main drag through town.
Cody also offers the only Walgreens and Wal-Mart within 90 miles, both of them very well stocked and staffed.
Albertsons is the grocery store where the locals shop, and it has wonderful selection. The daily fresh-made guacamole is to die for.
Wyoming is a 24/7 alcohol sales zone. Libations near Walgreens is open every day of the year and has good selection of bottled goods and slushy machines full of frosted cocktails.
Eat
- 1 Proud Cut Saloon, 1227 Sheridan Ave, ☏ +1 307 527-6905. This is one of Cody's most famous restaurants. Don't be surprised to find yourself eating a great cut of meat out on a patio with plastic table coverings. Proud Cut is more about good food than fancy surroundings.
- 2 Zapata's, 1362 Sheridan Ave, ☏ +1 307 527-7181. Zapata's is located at the end of Cody's main drag. The Mexican food isn't bad, but the margaritas and beer are great after a long day's hike.
- 3 Shiki Japanese Restaurant, 1420 Sheridan Ave. Amazing Japanese food, and a great atmosphere.
- 4 Silver Dollar Bar, 1313 Sheridan Ave, ☏ +1 307 527-7666. Best burger in town. Must be 21 to eat inside, great place to eat & drink outside on the patio during the summer.
- Granny's, 1550 Sheridan Ave, ☏ +1 307 587-4829. This non-foodie institution is too easy to pass by. An old-school establishment, it is a local reference for breakfast. Excellent value. Close to the Holliday Inn and Walgreens. Gets crowded sometimes. Junior and senior lunch and breakfast specials. Excellent cinnamon and caramel rolls. Known for pancakes. Bacon and link sausages are amazing. Service is great. If you are alone, try to get a spot at the community table on the left where the local news is traded daily.
Drink
Sleep
- 1 Comfort Inn, 1601 Sheridan Ave, ☏ +1 307 587-5556. In the heart of downtown. All of Cody's best restaurants and gift shops within walking distance. Free breakfast, Wi-Fi, great customer service, and a cozy room.
- 2 The Cody, 232 West Yellowstone Ave, ☏ +1 307 587-5915. The only luxury hotel, it is a green-friendly resort offering many upscale amenities. Less than a mile from the Cody Rodeo Grounds. Enjoy the scenic beauty and luxury of this hotel.
- 3 Heart2Heart Ranch - Bed, Barn and Breakfast, 486 Rd 2AB, ☏ +1 307 587-2906. A small working ranch near the Heart Mountain, Heart2Heart is cozy, comfortable and the folks who run it are very welcoming. You can also stay here with your dog.
- 4 Best Western Sunset Motor Inn, 1601 8th St, ☏ +1 307 587-4265, toll-free: +1-800-624-2727, fax: +1 307 587-9029.
- 5 Holiday Inn, 1701 Sheridan Ave, ☏ +1 307 587-5555. This hotel is a favorite of tour groups. They have a great team. They have handled the gamut of customer situations and needs. It's vintage Holiday Inn (no free breakfast, but Granny's is practically across the street and another Cody institution). Not cheap. You can often get a better deal if you stay in one of their cabins (free standing units in back). The Cody Holiday Inn sits on old camp and rodeo grounds from before trees in Cody. Convenient to everything in the downtown.
- 6 Green Creek Inn & RV Park, 2908 Northfork Highway, ☏ +1-877-587-5004. A nice motel in Wapiti between Cody and Yellowstone National Park. The rooms are clean and cosy. The owners are friendly, and seemed to be quite strict about the rules of their place, which some less disciplined guests might find uncomfortable. From the premises there is a prime view of the Smith Mansion. From 70$.
- 7 Chamberlin Inn, ☏ +1 307 587-0202. This is a lovely boutique hotel in the heart of the downtown area. Often used as a wedding venue, if Hemmingway ever stayed in Cody, it would have been here. Even if you do not spend the night, you should take the time to have a drink in the bar, especially during the warm season when you can enjoy the beautiful garden.
Go next
- Sleeping Giant Ski Area, 48 miles west of Cody
| Routes through Cody |
 to Idaho Falls ← Yellowstone N.P. ← |
W    E |
→ Greybull → Sheridan/Buffalo/Casper |